Title: My ImmortalIn the late 18th century, a spoiled, selfish plantation owner struck an unholy bargain with a fallen angel: an eternity of servitude for the gift of immortality. For over two hundred years, Damien du Bourg has held up his end of the bargain—by inspiring lust in everyone around him…
Stumbling upon Damien’s plantation on the outskirts of New Orleans while searching for her missing sister, Marley Turner enters a world of shocking decadence. Drawn to the tortured man at the center of it all, Marley feels a powerful sensuality stirring inside her. For the first time, it’s Damien who can’t resist the lure of a woman. But his past sins aren’t ready to be forgotten—or forgiven…
Author: Erin McCarthy
Series: Seven Deadly Sins, Book 1
Start & Finished: 5/11/08
Published: 2007
Publisher: Jove
Pages: 311
Genre: Paranormal Romance
After being nominated for the prestigious RITA award (the equivalent to an Academy Award for romance authors) in 2006, McCarthy decided to “expand her writing” by “experimenting with
more complex stories” and so she created her Seven Deadly Sins paranormal romance series. My Immortal is the very first book in this series and it is about the sin of (what else?) lust.After enjoying one of the author’s series that are more light-hearted called the Vegas Vampires, I was eager to read more by her. For those of you haven’t tried any of Erin McCarthy’s books I urge you to do so! She has a bit of a Katie MacAlister/ MaryJanice Davidson feel to some of her work. The humor I’ve come to expect from this author is still in Immortal but it’s also a little more subtle and there is less “action”. It does make up for this with ho
w much darker it is.However, I can’t overly praise the debut book for this series because there were many parts that I didn’t really enjoy. Like the heroine “Miss Fix-it Family-Martyr” Marley who is always looking after her wild little sister, whom I would love to smack upside the head. I mean this selfish, annoying airhead thankfully is only in a few parts but I was more than ready to deal with Marley after her! Marley is certainly the better person in the book even if she is kind of sad and has more than a few flaws but I was rooting for her by the end.
I know that a few people who have tried this story were put off by the hero at first but he gets a lot better over time and the “tortured and complex” hero is certainly not something that is new in romance (especially paranormal romance). I thought that Damien and his whole grey shaded past was fascinating but not nearly as much as the small subplot with the letters of his first wife Marie. I didn’t like her at first either but in the end, she was my favorite character! How strange it would be to become taken away from everything you know just to be dumped in an inhospitable environment. Frankly, I loved the Louisiana setting but I certainly wouldn’t want to live there!
So I have mixed feelings about the book. On one hand, I love the idea of the plot with the Gregori demons (fallen angels) and I’ve already bought the second book Fallen when it came out last June. On the other, I felt like it certainly wasn’t McCarthy’s best work but this was her first shot at a dark paranormal so I’m more than willing to overlook the little things that annoyed me this time.
Series: My Immortal, Fallen
Other Books I’ve Read By Author: High Stakes, Bit the Jackpot, Bled Dry, Sucker Bet
Links: Myspace (Erin McCarthy), The Seven Deadly Sins (Wikipedia)
Interview: Author Scene, Penguin Group,
Book Trailer:
Author Interview:
great review as usual!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the 'tortured and complex' heroes.
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/
I haven't read any of her paranormal books...only her romances but I've this book in my pile. I still haven't made up my mind if I should buy her Vegas Vampires books...
ReplyDeleteOh, interesting. I read Fallen, and I didn't even realize it was a #2 in a series. I liked it. I'll be interested to see what you think.
ReplyDeleteLOL @ "...but he gets a lot better over time and the “tortured and complex” hero is certainly not something that is new in romance..."
ReplyDeleteI have been meaning to get this book. I really want to start on this series.
This does sound really good. I am usually put off romance novels as a genre but am not sure why. I like the sound of the fallen angel twist.
ReplyDeleteYou're in Mississippi? Did I know that? I feel like I should have known that. And, you should definitely be on my blog roll, but I can't get to it, right now. Stupid blogger. I can't alter my sidebar at all. Grrr.
ReplyDeleteBack to the book . . . doesn't sound like my thing at all, but I really enjoyed your review (love the pics).
Naida: Thanks! Yeah all the "romance" books I've been reading lately seem to have one.
ReplyDeleteMelody: There is one dud in the Vegas Vampires series but taken as a whole I enjoyed them
Carolyn Jean: I snatched it up a few months ago and I still haven't read it. I really have to get to it soon.
J. Kaye: I think you might like it! The first book is a little slow in parts and like I said I wanted to strangle the little sister but I liked the idea of the series.
Rhinoa: I too was intrigued about the fallen angel thing but it's not explored much in this book (more in the second). He's just a guy who recieved immortality from one of these demon/fallen angels. Though of course there is consequences.
Bookfool: Thanks! Yes I'm in Mississippi, I live about 30 minutes outside of Biloxi in Gautier. My husband grew up down here, I'm a Georgia transplant.
I have these two as well, but haven't read them yet. I'm interested to see what I think, as everything of hers I've read so far has been humorous. I didn't realize it was a series of 7, I have admit I didn't read that closely, just went, oh, this looks interesting *buy*.
ReplyDeleteSo far I've read "Heiress for Hire", "Houston we have a problem" and the first Vegas Vampires book, the name is escaping me. Though I do have others in the TBR pile as well.